You Don't Know Me
by italianangel38
Summary: Eric meets up with a girl from his past that broke his heart, and all he wants to know is why? A bit on the deeper side of Eric. Updated Chapter 3. Angela and Shawn are back together, and they are trying to help Kate and Eric with their problems.
1. Default Chapter

Hey please R&R for my story I want to hear what you all think. Thanx  
  
"All right Shawn, now you've been single for a while now." Cory says as they walk into the student lounge at Penbrook. "I think it's about time you found a girl."   
  
"I think you've got something there Cory, I think I do need a girl." Shawn agrees  
  
"Did you hear that ladies? Shawn Hunter a very eligible bachelor over here is looking for a girlfriend." Cory annouces  
  
"Hey Shawn." Jessie says walking over with her friend Amy "Maybe we can hook up sometime."   
  
"Or maybe WE can." Amy puts in  
  
"Cory, shouldn't you just let Shawn find a girl like regular people do?" Topanga asks "Like asking out someone she likes?"   
  
"No, this is how Shawn works, let him work this way."   
  
"Thanks Cory I owe you one." Shawn glances over towards Cory and instead a girl sitting at a table by herself catches his eye. She has on a baby blue sweater and a pair of jeans, Shawn couldn't see anything else because her head was bent over and her dark brown hair was blocking his view of her face. "Hey Cory, who's that?" He nods  
  
"Who? Her?" Cory looks over "That's just Katherine Winters, she went to our high school. No one that's your type, not even mine really." Cory laughs "She's real stuck up, popular but stuck up only a select few were her friends."   
  
"Cory! That's horrible!" Topanga exclaims "I can't believe you just said that!"  
  
"Topanga look at her, she doesn't even look up, she lives inside books, she doesn't care about the world around her."   
  
"Cory Matthews I never thought I would hear something so cruel ever come out of your mouth!" Topanga sits on the couch "So if I stuck my head in a book all the time you wouldn't of given me the time of the day?"  
  
"Of course I would have, it's different. I love you." Cory defends himself  
  
"No it's not, because you just pre-judged her without even knowing her."  
  
"Topanga calm down, besides Cory is right, she's not my type." Shawn reasons, even though he glanced back at Katherine once more before they left the lounge.  
  
****************  
  
"Good Morning class." Mr. Feeny greets them the next day. "Morning Ms. Winters" They overhear them greet her.  
  
"I didn't know she was in this class." Shawn says turning around.  
  
"I wonder why." Cory muses taking his seat  
  
"I'm going to introduce myself to her." Topanga announces  
  
"Topanga you don't have to prove a point by doing this- Topanga?" Cory asks but she is already on her way over.  
  
"Do you mind?" Topanga asks before sitting next to her.   
  
She looks up. "Not at all."   
  
"You're Katherine right? I remember you from high school. I'm Topanga."   
  
"I remember you too, and it's Kate, no one has ever called me Katherine except for my teachers." Kate smiles warmly   
  
"You know I would of introduced myself sooner, but I hadn't realized you were in this class and I didn't really recognize you either"   
  
"I guess we've all changed over the years, I wouldn't of recognized you either, but you speak up so much in class it's hard not to." Kate replies  
  
"Yea, I guess. I do, I'm a little outspoken."   
  
"I guess I like to see what's going on, you know? And no one really bothers to get to know someone who stays quiet."   
  
"Yea, I know. You don't mind being so quiet, I guess I don't know people think your just stuck up."  
  
"No, I know where I stand. Who I am. I don't need the approval of others."   
  
"I wish I had your confidence." Topanga sighs "I'm such a perfectionist. I always have to be heard and seen."   
  
"It's who you are don't wish you were someone different." Kate answers  
  
"She's actually kind of pretty." Shawn says quietly looking over at Katherine, she had dark brown eyes and a thin frame, she wore another sweater today this time a red turtleneck, to keep the winter chill out.   
  
"Which one Amy or Jessie?" Cory jokes oblivious to who Shawn was actually talking about.  
  
"Huh? Oh both you know." Shawn laughs it off.  
  
"Here are your essays" Mr. Feeny announces loudly disrupting the student's conversations. "Most of you did not do good." He hands a paper to both Kate and Topanga. "Excellent work Ms. Winters and Ms. Lawrence. Excellent."   
  
"Wow I got an A!" Topanga exclaims as Kate lays her paper on her desk "What about you?"   
  
"A +" Kate replies softly "You did really good on yours"   
  
"You got an A +? That's great! Can I look at your paper?"   
  
"Sure…go ahead." Kate hands it over.  
  
Topanga glances over the paper. The topic of the paper was the day that changed their life, Kate had written about the day her cousin had died of cancer after a long hard battle, and how she could finally be free from pain, Kate talked about how although she would miss her, she knew her cousin was far better off. Topanga thought her paper sounded so superficial writing about the day she got married. "This is so good."   
  
"Thank you." Kate slips her paper into a folder. "What is yours about?"   
  
"When Cory and I got married." Topanga smiles   
  
"I remember when you got engaged and how excited you were, your bridal shower was the talk of the campus from what I heard."   
  
Topanga's smile quickly vanished, she had invited almost every girl in their dorm, Kate's name hadn't even crossed her mind.   
  
"Don't worry about not inviting me" Kate says as though reading her mind "I wouldn't of been welcomed there anyway."  
  
"Don't say that, of course you would have."   
  
"Topanga."   
  
"All right, most girls think your stuck up or something, not all do, I guess the ones that really know you don't"   
  
"Don't even think twice about it."   
  
"Your not who I thought you were."   
  
"People usually aren't." Kate replies tapping her pencil  
  
"You want to come over for dinner tonight?" Topanga asks  
  
"I'd love to thanks." Kate accepts the paper on which Topanga wrote where she lives  
  
"Come by at 7:00"   
  
  
*******************  
  
"Topanga!" Cory shouts opening the door and finding Kate outside "Come here please!"  
  
"What is it?" Topanga asks coming out of their bedroom   
  
"You didn't tell me we were having guests for dinner, Shawn and I were going to have a boys night out."   
  
"Well now your just going to have a boys night in." Topanga smiles "Come in."   
  
"Your place is beautiful." Kate comments taking off her coat, underneath she was wearing a knee length black skirt and a blue three quarter sleeved shirt. "I'm sorry about interrupting your plans tonight, Cory. But it was nice to be invited into your home."   
  
"N-no problem" Cory stutters surprised at her politeness.   
  
"Want to see the rest of the house?" Topanga asks  
  
"I'd love too." Kate agrees and follows Topanga down the hall  
  
"Hey Cory ready to go?" Shawn asks walking in  
  
"Staying in tonight Shawn, the wife invited a friend over." Cory explains  
  
"A single friend?"   
  
"A single stuck up puts on a good act friend."   
  
"Hey Shawn." Topanga comes out with Kate.   
  
"Hey Shawn." Kate extends her hand.  
  
Shawn accepts it "Katherine right?"   
  
"Kate actually, no one calls me Katherine."   
  
"We'd all know that if-" Cory mutters  
  
"If I weren't so stuck up?" Kate asks looking at Cory. "Not knowing someone isn't a good reason to assume things, what if I had assumed the same about you because you hadn't ever bothered to introduce yourself to me."  
  
"Did you?" Cory asks  
  
"No." Kate shakes her head "I didn't."   
  
"I hope you feel bad about that" Topanga says to Cory. "I don't get it, you never act like this. So quick to judge."   
  
"I'm sorry, I really am." Cory apologizes   
  
"Then why did you do it?" Topanga asks in a softer tone.   
  
"You always seemed too confident, you only conversed with a select few people. You hurt my brother pretty badly too."   
  
"Your brother?" Kate asks  
  
"Eric Matthews."   
  
"Oh." Kate looks down remembering the event. "I never meant too"   
  
"You lead him along, made him think you liked him so much, and he liked you, and you knew it. He asked you out and you agreed and stood him up! How am I supposed to take that?" Cory exclaims  
  
"Cory I'm sure there's a reasonable explanation for this." Topanga reasons   
  
"I'm remember that, Eric was crushed" Shawn says remembering "I never got that. I mean he took a chance since you are younger then him. You really meant something to him."   
  
"I know, and I was going to go out with him, but I couldn't." Kate says softly "I should go, I think I just about wore out my welcome."   
  
"Kate, don't go on the account of something that happened years ago." Topanga pleads  
  
Kate shakes her head no. "I should go." She grabs her coat and leaves.   
  
"That's the girl that broke my brother's heart." Cory says after she's gone. "And you wanted to know why I thought she was stuck up? She doesn't even have a valid explanation years later."   
  
"Maybe she does Cory, you didn't even give her a chance."   
  
"I'm with Cory on this one Topanga, she didn't give him a reason then, she just said that she was sorry. That's just cold."   
  
"No, that sounds like something is wrong. Like something happened, you can't always be so quick to assume."   
  
"You keep saying that Topanga and yet I've been right each time." Cory tells her  
  
"No, Cory she's not the kind of person who would just stand someone up like that."   
  
**************  
  
Kate walks quickly through the dorm. "Oh sorry" She says when she bumps into someone  
  
"Don't worry about it." The man replies "Kate?"   
  
"Eric, oh I- I was just leaving." She pushes past him  
  
"Kate wait, I don't want to leave off on a note like this again." Eric grabs onto her arm.   
  
"Don't worry about it, we know where we both stand."   
  
"I know, but I never. I always wondered-"  
  
"Why I stood you up that night?"   
  
"Yea." Eric shuffles his foot on the ground   
  
"It's complicated and I never wanted you to feel guilty or anything about it."   
  
"Was it something I did?" Eric asks  
  
"No, no nothing like that, I- it's hard to explain."   
  
"I trusted you more then anyone I knew, and I thought you felt the same"  
  
"I did, but this was different."   
  
"You were different after that night, we barely talked any more, you got quiet and we both know that's not really you."   
  
Anger flashed in Kate's eyes "How do you know who I am? It's not like you've been around me for the past few years. People change"  
  
"I know this isn't you right now." Eric says quietly   
  
Kate stops and looks at him. "No, you just DON'T know me at all." She says before she storms off.   
  
  
To be continued soon, more of Eric will be in the next chapter please R&R thanx 


	2. Chance of a Lifetime

Here's chapter 2 please R&R and thanx for the previous ones. J Oh and this takes place (the story) when Angela and Shawn were broken up, but she's not gone.  
  
"Eric what are you doing here?" Cory asks opening the door and finding a depressed looking Eric outside.  
  
"I was coming over, Topanga invited me over for dinner." Eric explains "Why were you just leaving?"   
  
"Oh a friend of Topanga's left this" Cory replies holding up a purse "I was going to try and catch her?"   
  
"Kate?"   
  
"No. No." Cory shakes his head furiously "Kate who? I don't know Kate."   
  
"Kate Winters, look Cory you don't have to try and protect me I bumped into her on her way out."  
  
"Oh." Cory replies dropping his act. "What happened?"   
  
"She freaked on me."   
  
"She freaked out in here when I asked for an explanation for…."   
  
"Her standing me up? Why would you to that?" Eric demands  
  
"She owes you one, and you know you want one."   
  
"No, that was none of your business Core-"  
  
"Don't tell me you never wondered why, the girl you loved and you know she felt the same way could just stand you up like that and leave you cold."   
  
Eric looks at Cory with an icy look on his face before shaking his head and leaving.  
  
"Eric wait-" Cory calls uselessly as Eric disappears from where he came from.  
  
*************  
  
Kate looks around the crowded student lounge looking for a seat, she spots and open table and sits down just as another girl sits down. Both girls stand back up and apologize.   
  
"Why don't we just share the table, as much as I wanted to be alone, I don't really want to be alone."   
  
Kate bites her lip "All right" She agrees "I'm Kate."   
  
"Angela" She reaches across and shakes her hand. "You're in Feeny's class with me right?"   
  
"Yea, I think so." Kate sips her coffee "You weren't there today."   
  
"I couldn't bring myself to." Angela sighs  
  
"Why not?"   
  
"Men." Cmae Angela's single word answer  
  
"Want to talk about it?" Kate offers  
  
"Well I was dating this guy, but I don't think it can work, so I broke up with him and it was basically mutual. And I was doing fine and then I saw him, with this girl the other day, two girls actually. Just hanging all over him and he was all happy about it. It made me sick."   
  
Kate creases her brow in recollection of that day "You're not talking about Shawn Hunter are you?"   
  
"Yea I am, how did you know?"   
  
"Well I was in here the other day when that was happening." Kate explains "I'm really sorry that must of been hard to see."   
  
"It was, but I'll get over it. So what's your story?"   
  
"My story?" Kate blinks   
  
"Yea, no one comes to the lounge at night alone unless there's a story behind it, so what's yours?"   
  
"I ran into some people from my past I wished I could of forgotten about. It was just like I expected- not good."   
  
"Men?" Angela guesses  
  
"Got it in one." Kate replies  
  
"Well come on, I want details I gave you details." Angela urges  
  
"How come you don't think I'm all stuck up like some people do?" Kate asks suddenly  
  
"Cause people tend to think the same about me at times, because of my father having money and having good rank, and I don't like to judge people, I'd rather get an impression first hand. Now details please?"  
  
"You know Eric?"   
  
"Eric Matthews? Weird, crazy Eric?"   
  
"Yea, he's not like that all the time, if you really go to know him." Kate sighs "I broke his heart from what I hear, I stood him up on our first and last date. It was a few years ago. Cory flipped out on me tonight about it."   
  
"Why did you stand Eric up?"   
  
"Do you remember that paper we wrote for Feeny? The one on the moment that changed out lives? I wrote about the day my cousin died of cancer."   
  
"Oh no that wasn't that day was it?" Angela asks wide-eyed  
  
"No. She had died years ealier. I really should of written about the day I stood Eric up but I didn't have to courage to, that was really the day that changed my life."   
  
"What happened that day?" Angela asks softely   
  
Kate taps her hand on the table. "I went to the doctors, to get a check up and they discovered I had lukemia, in my knee. I could only think of my cousins fate at that point and how hard everything had been for her. I forgot all about how she always had a smile on her face and was in a good mood. I couldn't face Eric that night and I didn't want to explain after, I got pulled from school for a while after that. I think he thought it was because of him. I couldn't tell him, I told some friends but I made them swear not to tell him."   
  
"If he cared that much about you. Why wouldn't you be honest with him?"   
  
"I guess it's like you telling Shawn you don't mind the break-up when you do, because you don't want to make him or worry or think too much into it."   
  
"That's not the same." Angela protests "You were sick, I wasn't"   
  
"We were both hurt by restricting outselves from what we really wanted to protect the guys we cared so much about." Kate points out "I think you should talk to Shawn."   
  
"What about you and Eric?"   
  
"That was over a long time ago." Kate says waving her hand as though to brush aside the thought   
  
"I'll make a deal, I'll talk to Shawn if you talk to Eric. Just make amends with him, you don't have to tell him everything." Angela offers  
  
"All right." Kate agrees after some thought "I'll do it."   
  
"When?" Angela asks trying to conceal her excitement   
  
"Tomorrow, we can call them tonight and make the plans." Kate says  
  
"Or we can call them tonight explain and make plans for tomorrow."   
  
Kate sighs "All right, let's do this. My dorm?"   
  
"Lead the way" Angela agrees cementing the girls friendship  
  
*****************  
  
"Just dial girl" Angela urges Kate on, lounging on Kate's comfortable bed in her spacious dorm. "Nice dorm you got by the way, no roommate lucky. Dial."   
  
"I am, I am." Kate mutters pounding away at the numbers. "Hi is Eric there?" She asks nervously secretly hoping he wasn't. "Eric? It's me, uh Kate. Don't say anything yet, I wanted to know if we can get together and talk……hello?" Kate asks biting her lip "What? Yea you can talk now…." A wide smile spreads across her face "When?" She looks at Angela for help "Now? It's only 8, all right. Room 427, yea that's right. OK bye."   
  
"So is he coming?" Angela asks  
  
"Yea, now call Shawn." Kate thrusts the phone towards her.  
  
"All right." Angela grabs the phone and dials appearing much more calm then Kate did. "I can't" She whispers handing the phone to Kate while it was ringing.   
  
Kate gave her a dirty look and was about to comment when she heard someone answer "Shawn? It's Kate, yes from before……can you come to my dorm I have someone here who wants to talk to you…..no I'm not kidding. You will? All right #427, yea ok, all right, bye."   
  
"Well?" Angela asks  
  
"I cannot believe you did that to me!" Kate exclaims "But yes he's coming."   
  
******************  
  
"Eric?" Shawn asks coming up to room 427 "What are you doing here?"   
  
"Kate asked me to come over, I don't know what to expect though." Eric replies jittery   
  
"Why are you nervous? Just go in." Shawn urges pushing past Eric and knocking on the door.  
  
Kate swung the door open "You're both here! Come in!" She opens the door wider so they can get past her.  
  
"Angela?" Shawn asks a mixture of joy and confusion in his voice. "What's going on?"   
  
"We need to talk, I need to talk, to be honest with you." Angela takes a deep breath  
  
"Wait, since when are you two friends?" Eric interuppts   
  
"Since an hour ago, let me talk." Angela retorts "I miss you, and I don't like being without you. I want you in my life. I feel like a part of me is missing without you." Angela says avoiding Shawn's eyes  
  
"What are you saying that you want to get back together?" Shawn asks softly  
  
"I'm saying…. I guess I'm saying I love you." Angela smiles  
  
"Do you really?" Shawn asks   
  
"Yea I really do."   
  
"So you want to try this again?"  
  
"I know it wont be easy and-"  
  
"Do you want to try again?" Shawn repeats  
  
Angela nods "Yea, I do."   
  
"Then let's try it again." Shawn hugs her tightly   
  
"That was too easy" Kate mutters loud enough so only Angela hears  
  
"We still loved each other though that's why." Angela explains "Eric will understand give him a chance."   
  
"I'll understand what?" Eric asks  
  
"That I never meant to hurt you that night, remember Allie?" Kate asks  
  
"Your cousin that died of cancer?" Eric questions  
  
"Yea, and remember how I used to talk about her?"   
  
"That she was always so happy, despite everything that was going on, she was always smiling. And when she died you felt like she was finally alive because she could live without pain." Eric says quietly  
  
"Yea." Kate nods looking down.   
  
"Tell him." Angela urges  
  
"No." Kate shakes her head. "The night we were supposed to go out, it all caught up with me, and I couldn't talk to you about it, and I didn't want to explain later. So I didn't"   
  
Angela looks away trying to conceal her expression. Shawn catches it, but says nothing.   
  
"You could of talked to me about anything." Eric replies hurt, but hiding it with anger.  
  
"I couldn't Eric, not that. I was a hypocrite."   
  
"Why can't you? It's years later, it wont make a difference, not now."   
  
"I can't, don't ask me too." Kate pleads  
  
"I got to go." Eric gets up and leaves.  
  
"Shawn stop him, he can't be mad at her." Angela urges him  
  
"I can't Angela, I just can't, after all that all she can do is call him in here and give him crap? I can't I'm sorry. I should go, but call me tomorrow." Shawn gets up and leaves as well  
  
"I'll be right back." Angela promises Kate  
  
Angela goes after Shawn. "Shawn don't do this, you don't even understand the half of it."   
  
"So make me understand Angela." Shawn tells her "Help me out here, let me see it from her point of view. I remember that day, I was there. I never saw someone so hurt."   
  
"And I never saw someone as hurt as she was, ok?"  
  
"Why?" Shawn asks his voice softening.  
  
"I promised." Angela says backing off   
  
"Angela please." Shawn takes her hand. "Maybe we can fix this."   
  
"I can't just betray her trust like that."  
  
"So what if we don't tell her I know?" Shawn reasons  
  
Angela hesitates   
  
"Angela?"  
  
"She had, has lukemia. In her knee. She found out the day she was supposed to go out with him. She didn't want to tell him or face him the next day so she pulled away. She had to leave school for a while for treatments." Angela says softly as though someone were listening  
  
"Oh man, I didn't even think it could of been something like this." Shawn runs his hand through his hair. "Is she ok now?"   
  
"Hurt, but ok as far as I know. Shawn you can't mention this to anyone." Angela reminds him  
  
"You have to get her to tell Eric." Shawn tells her "He needs to know."   
  
"I know that, but that's not something easy to say."  
  
"She told you." Shawn points out  
  
"She needed someone to talk to, and I didn't attack the way Cory had. I listened and that's what she needed."  
  
"So what do we do?" Shawn asks "We can't let Eric walk around like this"  
  
"And we can't let her keep this from him." Angela finishes   
  
"Then we need a plan." Shawn states "We need to figure out what to do, together." He smiles taking her hand into his.   
  
"Together." Angela echoes "We'll figure something out."   
  
  
  
To be continued, soon please R&R thanx! 


	3. I'm Sorry Eric

Please R&R  
  
Kate sat listlessly in her dorm staring at the wall across from her. She didn't even tear her gaze away when the door opened. "Kate?"   
  
"What?" Kate asks looking at Shawn and Angela.   
  
"Kate, I'm so sorry." Angela starts   
  
Seeing the look on Shawn's face Kate realizes Angela had betrayed her trust.   
  
"Kate you can trust Shawn and I didn't know what else to do, I don't know how to help you. I know, I know that we're not even really friends but you trusted me once so I need you to trust me again with this. Eric needs to know." Angela tells her  
  
"No." Kate stands up "I don't need to tell him, I don't want to hurt him."   
  
"You've already hurt him more then you could have ever hurt him, you kept a secret from him and then you told him to his face you wont tell him. What more damage could be done? Only good can come from it now." Shawn says  
  
"No, I love Eric. I can't ever tell him." Kate whispers  
  
"If you love him tell him." Angela pleads  
  
"I swore I would never fall in love."   
  
"Why would you do that?" Angela asks surprised and Shawn stops her and shakes his head.   
  
"Maybe we should go Angela." Shawn says softly, tugging at her arm slightly and edging her towards the door.   
  
"I'll come back over tomorrow." Angela promises leaving with Shawn. They shut the door behind them and quietly walk down the hall.   
  
Kate looks around for her purse but can't find it, she realizes it must be at Cory's, she sighs sullenly and gets her coat.   
  
**************  
  
"What are you doing here?" Cory asks angrily when he answers the door and finds Kate standing there.  
  
"I forgot my purse." Kate answers  
  
"Oh, right. I'll go get it." Cory leaves her in the doorway.  
  
"Cory who's at the door?" Topanga asks going to the doorway.  
  
"Kate." Cory says getting her bag.  
  
"Why didn't you invite her in?"   
  
"Why should I have?" Cory retorts  
  
"Cory. What's done is done." Topanga says firmly and opens the door wider "Kate, please come in."   
  
"I'll only be a second." Kate replies  
  
"Please? I think we owe you an apology."   
  
"No, Cory was right in being angry at me. I should of called to cancel that night, but I had no choice but to stand him up."   
  
"The same way you had to leave school? And never give him an explanation?" Cory mutters handing her, her purse.  
  
"Exactly the same way. Cory it's a lot more complicated then me standing Eric up."   
  
"So tell me. Oh wait you can't right." Cory exclaims  
  
"You wouldn't understand. I don't want Eric to have feelings for me." Kate explains  
  
Cory stops "You don't want him having feelings for you? So what was he some backup boy on the side? What is it?"   
  
"If Eric loves me, I'll end up hurting him. I'll end up leaving." Kate replies close to tears  
  
"Cory stop." Topanga commands  
  
"No Topanga this should be good since she already left him once."   
  
"Cory please stop this now." Topanga tells him.  
  
"Cory I'm sorry it's late but I wanted to apologize to you about yelling at you before-" Eric walks in and freezes when he sees Kate "What's going on?"   
  
"I'd love to know that" Cory walks over to Eric. "Apparently Kate doesn't want you to have feelings for her, but I'm thinking it's a little to late for that." Cory says sarcastically "She said if you love her she'll leave you again, that she'll hurt you."   
  
"She's hurt me enough she couldn't possibly more." Eric states evenly   
  
"Guys would you both stop" Topanga asks  
  
"I bet you've come to really know her back right?" Cory asks  
  
"Oh yea, I'm beginning to like it more then her front side" Eric replies  
  
"Then you wont mind seeing it again" Kate brushes past them and leaves.  
  
"Are you two happy now?" Topanga asks "I hope you are, because she came over to apologize and you turned her away"   
  
"Well maybe she'll come to see how it feels." Cory says  
  
"Cory did you ever think that maybe she had a really good reason for leaving?" Topanga asks   
  
"Well-"  
  
"I didn't think so." Topanga turns to leave but pauses "I talked to Angela, she and Shawn had talked to Kate, they know what had happened. From her tone it's nothing to be taken lightly. You both were unbelievably unfair to her. Maybe she needs someone to listen, she doesn't want to be attacked. I'm going out tomorrow with Kate, Angela and Shawn. You two can come only under the condition that you're there to listen." Topanga says then goes to her room  
  
Eric sighs "What do you think it is?"   
  
"I don't know, but she had better have a good reason for doing this to you."   
  
"You know I don't even care that she stood me up, left school. All I cared about when I saw her was that she was here. And that I could have a second chance with her. That's all that matters to me."   
  
"Did you tell her that?" Cory asks  
  
"No, I didn't. I asked for an explanation." Eric replies "I'll see you tomorrow Cory."  
  
"Yea see ya Eric." Cory shuts the door behind Eric.  
  
**************  
  
"Hey Kate, I'm glad you could make it." Topanga greets Kate at Kate's dorm.  
  
"Me too, thanks for picking me up. I wasn't really feeling like driving tonight." Kate pulls on her coat. "Where are we going anyway?"   
  
"Well we were going to go out to a restaurant but Cory had an idea and I think it may be kind of nice." Topanga says as they start to go outside.  
  
"So that'd be where then?"   
  
"Well Cory and Eric wanted to do something special for both of us and Shawn and Angela are coming as peacemakers-"  
  
"And we'd be going….?" Kate asks  
  
"Cory's and Eric's house for dinner, for old times sake." Topanga says hesitantly "I'd understand if you didn't want to go."   
  
"No, I'll go." Kate gets into Topanga's car and they start driving.  
  
"Hey are you all right?" Topanga asks a little while later.  
  
"A little tired, I feel like I haven't slept in days." Kate smiles  
  
"All right" Topanga answers "We'll be there in a few minutes.  
  
"Ok" Kate replies gazing out the window.  
  
*************  
  
"I think they just pulled up" Morgan announces to Cory and Eric.  
  
"Good, tell mom and dad that everyone is here then" Cory tells her, he goes to the door and opens it. "Hey" He waves  
  
"Hi Cory, is everyone here?" Topanga asks giving him a kiss.  
  
"Yea, I hope this turns out well. For Eric I mean"   
  
"Just don't push it." Topanga warns  
  
"Hey Cory, thanks for having me." Kate walks in his house. "It feels like forever." She mutters  
  
"Kate!" Amy walks in and hugs Kate "It's so nice to see you after all this time, how are your parents?"   
  
"Hi Mrs. Matthews, my parents are fine." Kate smiles "Eric, hi." Kate says when he walks in.  
  
"Can we talk?" Eric asks "Outside?"   
  
Kate nods and follows him out back, they sit on the bench outside. "So what's up?"   
  
"You know what I want to ask you." Eric says quietly   
  
"Yea."   
  
"But I'm not going to."   
  
"Why not? I thought you wanted to know."   
  
"See I do more than anything in the world, but I decided I'd rather not know than to lose you again."   
  
"Don't say that." Kate whispers "I don't want to get attached to anyone."   
  
"Why not?"   
  
"Eric. I don't want to hurt you-"  
  
"Don't you see it Kate? You're killing me right now. I love you more than anyone, I always have."   
  
"Please don't say that" Kate stands up and goes by the fence.   
  
"Why do you get all upset whenever I say how I feel about you? The next day in school I told you it was ok that you had stood me up and you actually looked disappointed."   
  
"Eric-"  
  
"No Kate listen to me, I said I wouldn't ask but I want to know what's going on."   
  
"Eric stop-" Kate says struggling not to cry.  
  
"Kate what's wrong?" Eric reaches out to her and she jerks her arm away.  
  
"Guys dinner- what's going on?" Cory asks stepping outside.  
  
"Eric I need to tell you something." Kate says her voice quavering  
  
"What is it?" Eric asks searching her eyes  
  
Cory stands off in the background trying to look inconspicuous.  
  
"Cory you can hear this you might as well." Kate looks down "That day I was supposed to go out with you I had gone to the doctor. I found out I had, I have leukemia." Kate looks in Eric's eyes  
  
"Dammit" Cory mutters sitting down and putting his face in his hands. "I'm so sorry Kate."   
  
"You didn't know Cory. You couldn't have."   
  
"You're sick?" Eric asks  
  
Kate glances at Eric and nods "I'm sorry I never told you, things can get really bad I didn't want you to have to deal with it."   
  
"Kate" Eric pauses "How bad is it?"   
  
"Eric I don't want to-"  
  
"Kate."   
  
"It's not good." Kate answers looking away, she glances back at him. "I have to go back for some tests this week to find out if it came back."   
  
Eric sits down as everything sinks in.   
  
To be continued…. Sorry it just ends but I need some time to work on the next chapter.. please R&R 


End file.
